Best Charoset Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do Jews eat charoset at the Seder? ›

Charoset – A sweet, brown mixture representing the mortar and brick used by the Hebrew slaves to build the structures of Egypt.

Purple grape juice: Kosher red wine is the traditional choice, but grape juice keeps our version family-friendly! White grape juice also works as a substitute.

According to The Biblical and Historical Background of Jewish Customs and Ceremonies, the sticky, granular mixture of fruit and nuts is meant to recall the mortar that the Jews used to build the Egyptian pharaohs' buildings (not the pyramids).

Game plan: Though charoset is traditionally served as part of the Passover Seder, it's also appropriate for a Rosh Hashanah meal.

HOWEVER, some Jewish communities, over time, developed a custom of avoiding corn and corn derivatives during Passover, on the grounds that ground up corn (that is, cornmeal) might be confused with some grain that IS forbidden at Passover (or that such a product might be adulterated with a forbidden variety of grain).

At a Passover seder, the following traditional items are on the table: Seder plate: The seder plate (there's usually one per table) holds at least six of the ritual items that are talked about during the seder: the shankbone, karpas, chazeret, charoset, maror, and egg.

In this recipe (and in many American households) the key to a good charoset is using sweet, Kosher wine like Manischewitz. The taste borders on grape juice, and lends a sweetness to balance out the tart apples.

Here's how to toast nuts for the best results. Wine or grape juice: You need a sweet red wine to make charoset. Manischewitz is the most popular kosher wine; you can use either the Concord grape or blackberry wine for this dish.

Sweet Red Wine: Manischewitz wine is the classic sweet red wine for Passover, but if you need to stay away from wine you can absolutely substitute for grape juice. Cinnamon: Any ground cinnamon you like to use will work.

Sweet and flavorful, charoset is usually everyone's favorite symbolic dish on the Passover seder plate, sitting beside a shank bone (zeroa), a roasted egg (beitzah), bitter herbs, or horseradish (maror), and a vegetable like parsley, lettuce, or celery (karpas).

Is charoset in the Bible? ›

Charoset, is one of the symbolic foods eaten by Jews during the Passover seder. There are no references to charoset in all the biblical text. The Torah never mentions eating it.

Usually freshly grated horseradish (if available). This symbolises the bitterness of slavery. If horseradish is not available, a bitter green lettuce, such as romaine, can be substituted in its place. The Hebrew term for the bitter herbs is maror and they are dipped into the charoset to lessen their bitterness.

The word 'charoset' comes from the Hebrew word 'cheres' which means clay.

Just as we eat sweet apples and other foods on Rosh Hashanah because of their symbolic significance, it is customary to avoid bitter and vinegary foods on Rosh Hashanah (see, for example, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 129:9). The Rama (Orach Chaim 583:2) writes that some avoid eating egozim (walnuts) on Rosh Hashanah.

One of the favourite flavours of seder night, the home ritual that begins the holiday, is charoset, the brown mixture that sits on the seder plate and which symbolises the mortar the Israelites used to build storehouses for Pharaoh.

Scholars have noted that in ancient Palestine, and perhaps in the Hellenistic world, charoset was a popular appetizer, which may explain why it initially became part of the Passover ritual. Originally it may not have had a religious meaning, and served simply as a tasty part of any festive meal.

Brisket was and is still used as a special cut of meat on Jewish holidays such as Hannukah, Shabbat, and Passover. The cut of beef was decided to be celebratory and important due to its location.

This is the seder plate, and each food is symbolic for an aspect of Passover: A roasted shank bone represents the Pescah sacrifice, an egg represents spring and the circle of life, bitter herbs represent the bitterness of slavery, haroset (an applesauce-like mixture with wine, nuts, apples, etc.)